Hat-blocking apparatus.



M. FLIGKER.

HAT BLOCKING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16, 1912.

. 0 20 Patented Dec.9, 1913.

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COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH 20., WASHING ON. u. c.

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MICHAEL FLICKER, 033 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

HAT-BLOCKING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 16, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

Serial No. 720,598.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ll IICI-IAEL FLICKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in thecounty of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Hat-Blocking Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hat blocking mechanism and especially to the steaming of felt or other hats to soften the stiffening material so that the hat can be readily reformed, and the principal object is to pro vide a mechanism to supply dry steam to the various portions of the hat separately.

It is also an object to provide suitable cups perforated to distribute the steam evenly to the surfaces exposed thereto, together with means below the steam entrance to drain off any of the moisture or condensation that takes place when the temperature of the steam is reduced to this extent.

It is a further object to provide cups of various shapes, to perform the varied functions, having steam inlets to evenly distribute the pressure in the cups quickly and efliciently.

In the drawings accompanying this specification Figure 1 is an elevation of the improved apparatus, the crown steaming cup being shown in central vertical section. Fig. 2 is a cross section of the crown steaming cup on the line 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the brim steaming attachment, a portion of the perforated top being broken away to clearly show the interior fittings. Fig. 4 is a central vertical section through the brim attachment showing its general flattened funnel form.

Heretofore in the renovating of felt or other kinds of hats the steaming of the whole hat in a receptacle results in distorting the form, and losing the desired configuration to fit the wearers head and the introduction of the hat into the chamber where the steam is of the required high temperature has been inconvenient and danger ous as well as ineflicient.

This invention overcomes the objections above referred to in that the brim and crown of the hats are steamed separately with ortions of the hat unexposed to the-heat, so that when the proper amount of heat has been reached they are readily replaced on the block or form for the further processes of shaping or reshaping.

More specifically in the drawings like numerals indicate the same parts in the different views, 5 designating the steam boiler of a domed cylindrical form preferably built of one piece of sheet material capable of withstanding great pressure, with a concaved formed bottom 6. The boiler is supported preferably on a suitable bracket 7. which is provided with a standard and base to elevate the boiler a suflicient distance above the floor, the gas or oil burner 8 being mounted on the bracket to supply the necessary heat to the base of the boiler. A suitable water gage 9 is supplied together with safety attachments and pressure gages not shown in the drawings.

Issuing from the upper section above the Water level of the boiler are the steam pipes 10 and 11 provided with suitable flanges, these pipes serving as the support for the crown cup and the brim attachment. The crown steaming cup 12 is preferably formed, as shown, as a cylindrical body 12 provided with a flange 13 projecting from its upper edge and secured to the lower portion of the conical funnel 13 into which the pipe 10 projects. About the center of the cone the pipe, is threaded into the elbow fitting 14, preferably a metallic casting provided with a plurality of openings shown in the drawing as four into which are threaded the short elbows 15, the orifices of these latter rojecting downward.

Above the fitting 14 supplying the steam, and supported by the lugs 16 projecting from the inner periphery of the cup 12 is the wire netting 17, this netting being placed sufliciently below the brim supporting flange 13 to permit the entrance of any height of crown on a hat without touching the wire. Below the orifices 15 for the steam is placed the deflecting plate 18 provided with perforations through the component material and cut away along its periphery so that the steam impinging thereon will be deflected outward and around the sides of the cone, the even distribution of the steam being completed by the gauze 17.

Secured to the opening in the lower end of the cone 13 is the drain pipe 19 operated by a suitable valve 20, this pipe leading to any discharge location desired, and is shown as connecting with the discharge pipe 21 from the brim attachment 22. This brim attachment 22 is of general flattened funnel shape, the upper portion near which the brim is held being formed on an arc corresponding to the usual diameter of a hat brim the opening being about the same width as the brim of a .hat.

edges and covering the whole area the opening. The steam pipe 11 heretofore mentioned serves as a support for the structure,- and enters the same on one of the flattened sides on its top being threaded into the T 2d; the other threaded openings of the T receiv-' ing the elbows 25 which are securely threads ed so that they maintain the normal position depending from the T forming a nozzle with the orifices opening downward. Immediately below the orifices is the deflecting plate of similar type as shown in the cone 12 pro vided with the perforations through its structure so that the condensed moisture may run down and collect out of the path of the steam into the lower end of the funnel to which the pipe 21 is secured. A suitable valve 27 controls the exit of any moisturethat may condense, the pressure of which would interfere with the eflicient operation of the device.

It can readily be seen that by opening the valve in the steam pines, the steam under pressure will immediately escape into the cup or brim attachment, as desired, and

easily and etliciently softens the stiffening in the felt or material of which the hat is composed, so that it can be readily reshaped by the proper manipulation. No moisture comes in contact with the structure, this latter being unnecessary to complete the operation, and undesirable, owing to the spotting by moist steam, and any condensation will be immediately drawn off so as not to interfere with the further use of the apparatus. The time necessary to complete the operation is This opening is closed by the wire gauze 23 secured entirely along the materially reduced by this device and after the quick heating operation, the material will be stiffer and hold its form a greater length of time.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a steam boiler, a steam pipe extending therefrom, a cylindrical cup supported on said pipe, a nozzle having a plurality of downwardly disposed openings connected to the end of said pipe in said cup, a perforated deflector plate mounted below said nozzle, and steam distributing screens mounted adjacentand above said nozzle, and extending from side to side thereof. a

2. in a device of the class described, a steam boiler, a steam pipe connected thereto, a flattened conical brim heating cup secured to said pipe, a steam nozzle secured to said. pipe having a plurality of downwardly eX-' tending orifices mounted in said brim heat ing cup, a corrugated deflector plate mounted below and in the path of the steam issuing from said nozzle, and a distributing screen mounted adjacent the top of said cup.

8. in a device of the class described, a steam boiler, a plurality of cups secured thereto, pipes to convey live steam connecting said cups to said boiler, intermediate of their top and bottom, nozzles to discharge MICHAEL FLICKER.

Witnesses WV. V. KEENE, EAnLn It. POLLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. v 3 

